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The EFL Championship's bottom side stopped the Reds from scoring for just the third time this season, with Liverpool's hopes of a potential quadruple cut short.

Liverpool had made 10 changes from its past Premier League outing, and struggled to find its rhythm, with the Pilgrims determined to hold their visitors at bay.

It took the Reds 36 minutes to have their first shot on target in the game, with James McConnell's deflected shot forcing Conor Hazard down low to his left.

Plymouth started the second half with intent though, and got its reward when Darko Gyabi, with his back to goal, flicked the ball over his head and against the reaching arm of Harvey Elliott, with the referee pointing straight to the spot.

Hardie coolly stepped up from 12 yards, drilling it into the bottom-left corner of the net as Caoimhin Kelleher dived the wrong way, and sending the home fans into raptures.

The striker could have made it sure seven minutes later, as Nikola Katic nodded down into the box. Kostas Tsimikas missed his clearance, but Kelleher was there to tip Hardie's half-volley onto the inside of the post.

Plymouth dug in deep, putting on an exemplary defensive display as Liverpool pushed for an equaliser, led by Katic, who made 11 headed clearances, the most by a player in a match against Liverpool since March 2020  when Atletico Madrid's Stefan Savic chalked up 11.

McConnell fired wide of an empty net before Hazard made two brilliant late saves, keeping out Diogo Jota's volley and tipping Darwin Nunez's late header.

Only thrice before had the Premier League leader been knocked out of the FA Cup by a side outside the top-flight, with Plymouth joining the likes of Cardiff City, Bradford City and Wigan Athletic.

It is just the fifth time that the Pilgrims have reached the FA Cup fifth round, and the first since 2006-2007, ending a run of four consecutive fourth-round exits.

This was Liverpool's fourth defeat under Arne Slot. Prior to this game, the Reds were unbeaten in eight games against Plymouth in all competitions, a run that dated back to February 2016.

Slot said his Liverpool players fell well short of expectations.

"I think [the players here today] are able to do better, but this is a playing style that is quite hard to create your chances against, which is what we saw today," he said.

"But we expected to play a better game than this, but we give credit to Plymouth as well.

"It hurts everyone that's involved with Liverpool, fans, me, players, we all wanted to be in this competition, but if you go out in one of the first possible games, that's a setback.

"Today we kept on fighting until the last second. Maybe the only chances we created were in the last 10-15 minutes, so it wasn't a work rate problem, but we couldn't find openings and chances."

Plymouth has now knocked two Premier League clubs out of the competition this season – Brentford and Liverpool – having only ever beaten top-flight opponents twice in its history beforehand.

Among a string of impressive displays for the Pilgrims, defender Nikola Katic shone.

But the Bosnian was quick to praise his goalkeeper Hazard for his outstanding display. 

"This is why I came here. It is good to get confidence about this win. We did good with the defensive structure and everybody gave their 100%," Katic said.

"We did what the coach asked from us. That is it. I hated Hazard when I got here because he's a Celtic guy, and I'm a massive Rangers guy, but he gave us this win today."

Plymouth boss Miron Muslic, who replaced Wayne Rooney in January, relished the moment as Argyle wrote a famous page in the FA Cup's storied history book.

With a huge EFL Championship clash against Millwall to come this week, Muslic believes that this victory over Liverpool could be a turning point in what has been a disappointing season.

"Speechless and they tell me I'm eloquent," he said. "Another chapter in Argyle's history. The desire to defend, it's Liverpool, they will be on you. But the lads are fantastic.

"It's a big moment. I think I will only realise that when I leave the stadium tonight, when I get back to my apartment for a quiet moment.

"We also needed a bit of luck, and we had that, but I feel we deserve this today. It's a magical day for us.

"But we have to go again on Wednesday [Thursday AEDT]. We showed togetherness today. I think we are ready."